<snip>
>Comparing with the role "contentinfo" which is meaningfully named, why was the inventor wanted to name the site header "banner" instead of a more meaningful name like "contenthead" or "masthead"?
[Joe Chidzik]
>From Merriam-Webster, I get the following two definitions of banner which seem relevant:
2: a headline in large type running across a newspaper page
3: a strip of cloth on which a sign is painted <welcome banners stretched across the street>
(Ref: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/banner)
The banner is the entrance to the website\page which you typically read before any other content.
Cheers
Joe